Love Letters - A Play

Photo credit: Internet.

March 2018: India.

While we were student of Master of Social Work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, we went to watch a play - Tumhari Amrita.  That was some two decades ago when we used to debate even to decide which play should we watch. The debate was between Love Letters (English) or Tumhari Amrita (Urdu/ Indian adaptation) - both the plays, written by American playwright and novelist AR Gurney.  Of course we all agreed for Shabana Azmi and Farooqh Sheikh - girls voted for his cuteness, I think ;-) - play Tumhari Amrita.  None of us regretted our choice. Letter after letter was read by this two brilliant artists keeping the audience in awe. 

This month when the Mumbai's just began officially with Spring season saw the mercury rising to 45 degree celcius. To keep myself cool I decided to take a evening walk in (not so beautiful) Juhu beach followed by watching the English play Love Letters. The ticket cost was ten times plus than what I'd have paid.. had we chosen to watch in our college days! The beauty of this play is that the same two artists Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel are performing for over two decades. 

Of course they have aged over the last 25 years, Kapur and Patel, both being the theatre veterans play super perfectly all the ages - from childhood to elderly phase - with comfort and confidently displaying it for the audience. 

A theatre artist never age ~ somebody 'wise' must have said, and its true! 

For me, the difference between Tumhari Amrita vs Love Letters is the movement of the artists. While Azmi and Sheikh through their voice without moving but sitting beside each other reads out their letter to audience, Kapur and Patel do not read the letters. My school teacher would've loved the idea of rote memorising all the letters (LOL). 

Almost 90 mins of performance with a break in between cannot be compared with any other plays. Both the plays brought unique experience for audience to enjoy the way script has been adapted.

Next time you are in Mumbai and if this play is still running I highly recommend to watch it! It might prompt you to write those hidden talents of you to write letters - the art of writing lovely letters are bygone in the days of E-mail or Whatsapp!